1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a golf tee, and more particularly to a golf tee capable of reducing the amount of impact energy transmitted thereto and of increasing the flight distance of a struck ball.
2. Description of Related Art
At the first tee shot (in other words “striking the ball”) at a golf course, normally a golf tee for placing a golf ball is used.
Golf players have a strong desire of making the ball fly farther or increasing its flight distance. This desire is particularly strong at the time of tee shot.
Accordingly, various efforts have been made to minimize the impact energy absorbed into a golf tee by improving its construction so that the impact energy at the time of shot does not leak and may not diminish.
On each shot, the whole golf tee tends to break away from the ground and fly away. Thus, the balls are often lost.
Golf tees improved from this viewpoint include, for example, those described in the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open 4-61576 or in the Japanese Utility Model Application Laid Open 63-114680.
The former is a golf tee wherein a ciliary body protrudes from the base body and the whole body is of a simple integrated construction.
When this type of golf tee is used, it has an advantage in that the air resistance grows stronger due to the ciliary body when the lateral surface of the golf tee is struck hard by the golf club and that the golf tee does not fly far away, in other words that the risk of loss is averted.
However, this has a disadvantage in that the impact energy is absorbed into the golf tee since the wholly integrated golf tee stuck into the ground is struck by the golf club.
This presents another disadvantage in that the ciliary body protruding from the base body tend to rip off easily from the base body due to the impact and therefore is inferior in terms of durability.
On the other hand, the latter comprises a sticking part stuck into the ground, a ball holding part on which a golf ball is placed and a flexible connecting member.
This presents a disadvantage in that, at the time of the shot when the golf ball together with the ball holding part are struck hard on their side by the club head, the connecting member bends, absorbs the impact resulting from the shot and reduces the impact energy thereof.
Incidentally, this golf tee comprises a slit connecting member designed to liberate air staying below the flange of the connecting member and reduce resistance in order to avoid its flight from the ground surface.
For this reason, this golf tee presents a disadvantage in that the connecting member twists at the time of the shot resulting in its fragility and insufficient durability.
In addition, it has another disadvantage in that the screwing of the connecting member to the fixed part not only increases the whole weight but also the number of parts for its assembly and therefore the number of assembly processes.
This invention was made under such a technical background, and was made to overcome the above-mentioned problems of the conventional art.